Changing
by shopgirl152
Summary: At sixteen years old, Phineas isn't into the same things he used to be into. But Isabella knows that despite the ongoing changes, he's still the same guy. She just has to dig a little deeper to find him. one-shot Phinabella.


"Come on Isabella! Hurry up! We're gonna miss the first pitch!"

"Phineas what's the rush? It's just baseball."

The red head wheeled around, playfully glaring at his friend. "It's not _just_ baseball Isabella; it's life!"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Yeah Phin. It's life." She went to follow him into the stadium, only to bump into the red head as he stopped short.

"Sorry." Phineas took off his baseball cap, holding it out in front of him, peering at the ticket he had lodged inside the brim. "Uhhh…I think our seats are…" he looked to his left, then to his right. "Over there?"

She giggled. "You don't know where our seats are?"

"Minor technicality."

"Which is?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I've never been to this stadium before, so…I'm not exactly familiar with everything." He paused. "That and Django just gave me the tickets yesterday."

"And here I thought you were into baseball."

"I'm into baseball Isabella. Doesn't mean I know where the seats are."

"Allow me." Isabella took the ticket from the hat brim, studying it. She glanced around. "Well, those posts over there say Z." She pointed to the left. "And those posts over there say A." She pointed to the right. "We're on the right level, it's just—"

"Let's go ask someone!" She shot him a glare. "What?"

"Nevermind." Isabella shook her head at him before walking over to a nearby hot dog vendor. "Umm…excuse me? We're trying to find our seats and—"

"Be glad to help." The vendor took the offered ticket, peering at the seat number. "It's down that way." He pointed to the right. "Just keep an eye on the columns marking each section. You should be able to make your way from there."

"Thanks." The red head took the ticket back, heading in the direction the man had indicated. He smirked. "I saved us."

"_You_ saved us?" The girl snorted. "Phineas, you didn't know where to go!"

"I stand by my statement."

"Ugh. When did you become so annoying?"

He did a double take. "What?"

"N-nothing."

Phineas stared at his friend a moment before shrugging, the two walking along in comfortable silence, stopping every so often to check a column or row number.

"We have to be close," Isabella mused.

"Yeah. The seats have to be—look! There it is!"

Isabella checked the ticket, looking up at the column number. "Section DF." She grinned. "Looks like this is it alright."

_Ladies and gentlemen, will you please rise for our National Anthem._

"Just in time too." Before Isabella could respond, Phineas grabbed her by the hand, hauling her down the stairs. "Come on Izzy! Let's find our seats!"

* * *

_O'er the land of the free  
__and the home of the brave!__  
_

The red head whooped and hollered as the song finished and the crowd cheered. He put his baseball cap back on, grinning. "Play ball!"

Isabella giggled. "Do you have to do that everytime?"

"Sure! It's more fun that way!"

"I guess."

"You guess?"

"Ummm…Phineas? Don't take this the wrong way, but…I think baseball is kinda boring."

"Really?" Phineas blinked. "If it's so boring, then why do you come with me all the time?" Her face flushed and he looked at her with concern. "You okay Isabella?"

"F-fine."

"Are you sure? Your face looks a little pink." He placed a hand to her forehead. "You don't feel warm. At least, I think you don't. I'm not really a doctor or anything."

She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand…only to lose her balance as the hand was taken away. She flailed for a moment, grabbing onto the back of the seat as she looked up at her best friend. "Wh-where are you going?"

Phineas turned around as he exited the row. "To get an ice pack. I think you're overheating." He started to walk up the stairs, only to double back. "Hey, I'm starving. You want a hot dog from the vendor we were talking to earlier?" She shook her head. "Okay." The red head reached down, squeezing her shoulder. "I'll be back Isabella. Don't move."

Isabella sank into the stadium seat, watching absently as the batter got two strikes before hitting a line drive out to left field. She sighed. "I know you're the same guy Phineas; just wish I didn't have to look so hard to find you."

* * *

"Can we go yet?"

Phineas gaped at her, soda halfway to his lips. "Go? Isabella, it's the bottom of the ninth! The Danville Mudslingers are down by two!"

"I know. It's just—" she sighed. "Nevermind."

The red head stared at her a moment, taking a sip of his drink. He turned his attention to the game, only to turn back to her, setting the drink in the holder. "Come on. Let's go."

"What?" Isabella blinked. "Go? Don't you want—"

"Yeah, I do, but…" he shrugged. "Hey, the Mudslingers will pull it out. And if they don't?" He smiled. "It's just a game right?"

"Do you hear yourself?"

Phineas laughed, extending his hand, helping her to her feet before wrapping an arm around her shoulders as the two headed toward the stadium entrance.

* * *

"All buckled in?"

"Yep!"

"Cool." Phineas smiled before closing the passenger side door, coming around to the front before climbing into the driver's side. He turned on the engine. "Thanks for coming with me today Isabella. I know you were bored, but…it was fun hanging out with you. We haven't hung out just the two of us in awhile."

"Tell me about it," she muttered.

The red head drove the truck out of the stadium, heading onto the main road. He quickly glanced to the side. "Isabella, are you okay?" She looked at him as he turned his attention back to the road. "You…haven't really been yourself today. It's not…" he hesitated. "It's not that time of the month for you, is it?"

She shot him a glare, then looked down at her hands and sighed. "No, it's not that time. It's just…I feel like ever since we've gotten older, you and I don't hang out as much anymore." She indicated the space between them. "I miss this."

"Me too."

"No you don't. You've changed Phineas; you're like this different person now and—" she clamped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't—"

He merely laughed. "I'm still the same person Isabella. I mean, yeah I'm not into the same things I used to be into. I don't invent much anymore, but…that doesn't mean I've changed." He paused a moment in thought. "Or rather, I _am_ changing, but not into a completely different person. You're changing too. We both are. I think it's part of growing up."

She sighed. "I know."

"Still…we really should look into that whole pesky we-don't-see-each-other-much-anymore thing." The red head paused in thought. "What if we set up a date?"

Isabella felt her heart thud in her chest. "D-date?"

"Yeah! A friend date! We'll pick one day a week where just the two of us hang out. No Ferb, no Baljeet, or Buford or Django or Irving. Just us. What do you say?"

"Well…" She stared out the window. "What will we do each week?"

"Dunno. Maybe we can alternate. You know, I pick the activity one week and you pick the activity the next week. I'd suggest another baseball game, but we already did that. So…you can pick our next activity."

"Hmm…how about a visit to the salon?"

He started. "Uhh…gee Isabella, that's great and everything, but don't you have—"

She giggled, reaching over and pushing him in the shoulder. "I'm kidding Phin."

"Oh. Well, that's a relief. For a minute there, I thought you were kinda serious."

"We could go to the park and have a nice romantic picnic by the lake."

"Picnic sounds nice. There is that new recipe I've been meaning to try."

"Ooo…what's that? Filet mignon?"

"Uh, no. You know how in Harry Potter they have Bertie Botts every flavor beans?" She nodded. "Yeah…it's kinda like that."

"So I might be tasting earwax?"

"It's a possibility."

Isabella shuddered. "Yech."

Phineas laughed as he steered the truck off the highway, turning down a nearby street before going down a couple more blocks, finally arriving in front of his friend's house. "Tell you what; why don't we plan on having a picnic sometime next week." He paused. "Unless you want to do something different; then call and let me know."

"I will." The girl went to open the door of the truck and hop out, only to hesitate. She slowly turned around. "Phineas?"

"Yes Isabella?"

"Don't change to much okay? I…like you for who you are. I always have."

He smiled, leaning across the driver's side, enveloping his friend in a tight hug. "I won't."

* * *

**A/N: **I think this happens a lot when you're growing up; if you're lucky, the person you're friends with will grow and change with you or you might grow up and apart for a bit, only to eventually get back to being friends. For Isabella, I think the scariest thing in her mind would be growing apart from Phineas. Yeah he's her crush, but he's also a good friend and I imagine that she wouldn't want to lose that friendship.


End file.
